1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of image recording not only on one face but also on both faces of a recording sheet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been proposed various two-side recording apparatus for image recording on both faces of a recording sheet. In such apparatus, however, the use of a known electrophotographic process will lead to frequent jamming troubles in the apparatus because of the very long transport path for the recording sheet, and the apparatus itself inevitably becomes very large.
Also already known is an image recording apparatus in which an image is recorded according to image information read by relative displacement of an original image and a line sensor such as a linear charge-coupled device (CCD). In such apparatus, since the relative displacement between the original image and the line sensor is limited to one direction, the original image has to be brought again to the starting position in case it is to be read plural times.
Also recording apparatus using and ink jet process or thermal recording process requires a treated special recording sheet, for example for preventing ink blotting. For recording on both faces in such apparatus, there is required a two-side recording sheet which is treated on both faces and is therefore considerably more expensive than the one-side recording sheet. However the conventional recording apparatus, lacking means for selectively using the one-side and two-side recording sheets, has to use the expensive two-side recording sheet even in the one-side recording, thus giving rise to an elevated running cost.